"Nyctanthes is a small tree of the jasmine family, having
brilliant, highly fragrant flowers, white and yellow, which do not
expand till evening and which fall off about sunrise.

Thus during the day the plant loses all its brightness, and hence is
called `The Sad Tree' (Arbor-tristis). `Nyctanthes' means
'Night-flowering.'"

S. C. Ghose has
given an account of the medicinal properties of this plant (Homeopathic
World, XXXVI, 24).

He has used it extensively in cases of bilious and remittent fevers,
rheumatism and sciatica, and the constipation of children.

It is bitter, tonic, and expectorant and a mild purgative. In the
fever there is thirst before and during chills, and bitter vomiting at
close of chill. Not much sweat. Ghose compares it with Eupat. perf. He
has made a short proving of it.

Symptoms For Its Administration

Mind

The patient is very anxious and restless.

Head

Dull headache exists.

Mouth

The tongue is enveloped with a thick, whitish or yellowish fur.

Stomach

Great burning sensation is experienced in the stomach, relieved by
cold application.

Abdomen

There is tenderness of the liver ; stitches are felt in the hepatic
region, which is very sensitive to touch.

Nausea And Vomiting

Bilious vomiting comes on at every draught.

Urine

The urine is high-colored.

Fever

It is very efficacious in all fevers, with predominance of bilious
symptoms.

Insatiable thirst exists before and during chill and heat ; bitter
vomiting appears at the close of chill ; constant nausea may or may not
be present ; drinking causes vomiting ; the patient is very restless ;
constipation or bilious stools ; perspiration is not generally marked.

Proving I

Prover

: Sarat
Chandra Ghose,
M.D. Age, 28.

On January 28, 1900, at 8 A. M., I took five drops of the tincture of

Nyctanthes.
Immediately
afterwards burning sensation and uneasiness were felt in the stomach.

At 2 P. M. I took another dose of five drops.

No other new symptom was experienced.

At 6 P. M. I took the third dose.

Tasteless eructations were prominently marked and nauseating tendency
was present.

On January 29th, 1900, I took seven times of the tincture in five
drop doses and, the following symptoms came on.

Nervous System

I became very feverish, anxious and restless.

Head

Dull headache was present.

Abdomen

Tenderness of the liver ; stitches were felt in the hepatic region,
which was very sensitive to touch.

Stomach

Great burning sensation and uneasiness were felt in the stomach,
better from cold application.

Stools

Profuse bilious stools came on which were accompanied by nausea.

Nausea and vomiting

Distressing nausea was present and vomiting appeared at every
draught.

Tongue

The tongue was coated with a thick whitish fur.

Mouth

The mouth was intensely dry and great thirst for cold water was
present.

Urine

The urine became high-colored.

Temperature

The temperature of the body was found to be 100°.

Proving II

Prover

- My wife. Age, 19.

She took the tincture of

Nyctanthesin ten (10) drop
doses four times daily and continued the medicine for two days.

She was in good health when the proving was made upon her. In her
case the following symptoms appeared :

Mind

: She grew
restless.

Head

: Slight
headache came on.

Abdomen

:
Tenderness of the liver.

Stomach

: Severe
burning and uneasiness were experienced in the stomach, better from cold
application.

Stools

: She
passed purely bilious stools every now and then and nausea was present.

Mouth

: The mouth
was dry and intense thirst for cold water was present ; but the drinking
of water induced vomiting.

Tongue

: The
tongue was enveloped with a yellowish fur.

Urine

: The urine
became high-colored.

Fever

: The
temperature of the body was seen to rise above the normal standard and
it gradually rose to 101° within four hours.

Clinical Cases

Case I

A lady at the house of Babu I. C. Chakrabarti, B.A., Head Master,
Town School, Midnapore, was suffering from a complicated attack of
intermittent fever.

No medicine could give her any relief. I marked the following
symptoms when I took her under my treatment :

Mind

: The patient
was very anxious and restless.

Eyes

: Violent
burning in the eyes was present.

Stomach

: Great
uneasiness was experienced about the epigastric region.

Hypochondria

:
Enlargement of the spleen and liver was present, filling in nearly half
of the abdominal cavity ; the patient experienced pain in the region of
the liver, increased on pressure.

Stool

: Her bowels
did not move for ten days ; there was no desire for it ; constipation
was present with pain in the bowels.

Urine

: The urine
was very scanty and high-colored.

Limbs

: Slight
dropsical swelling of the hands and feet appeared.

Tongue

: The
tongue was enveloped with a whitish fur ; the taste was bitter.

Pulse

: The pulse
was very weak and small.

Fever

: The fever
was double quotidian in type and appeared irregularly.

Before Attack

:
Slight thirst and yawning appeared.

Stage Of Chill

:
Chill came on with great thirst for cold water, accompanied by pains in
the stomach.

Stage Of Heat

:
Heat with thirst was present ; vomiting of bile during heat ;
fever-blisters around lips were noticed.

Stage Of Sweat

:
Sweat was absent.

Stage Of Apyrexia

:
Apyrexia was never clear ; emaciation and debility were present.

I prescribed

NyctanthesTMin five drop
doses, to be repeated every three hours, and took leave, requesting to
be informed by the evening if the bowels did not move.

I came to learn the following morning that the patient had a motion
the previous evening. This medicine was persistently used and at the end
of four days the dropsical swellings of the hands and feet vanished.

After a week the tongue became clean, the bowels began to move
regularly, appetite was restored and the fever disappeared.

Case II

A boy, aged 7, was suffering from intermittent fever for some time.

The fever came on every evening at 7 P. M.

Violent thirst was present during chill and fever.

Bilious vomiting was present.

The bowels were constipated.

I prescribed

Nyctanthes
TMin
five drop doses thrice daily.

The boy was cured within three days.

Case III

A woman, aged 68, was suffering from remittent fever for ten days. I
took her under my treatment on the eleventh day. The following symptoms
were most prominently marked :

Nervous System

:
The patient was very anxious and restless.

Tongue

: The
tongue was coated with a whitish fur.

Head

: Intense
headache was present.

Abdomen

: Stitches
were felt in the hepatic region, which was very sensitive to touch.

Nausea And Vomiting

: Bilious vomiting came on after drinking.

Stomach

: Great
burning sensation was felt in the stomach, better from cold application.

Stools

: Profuse
bilious stools, with nausea.

Fever

: Chilliness
was followed by burning fever.

At first I thought of prescribing

Eupat.
perf., but
I gave Nyctanthes
TM, in order to
examine its therapeutic properties.

The next morning I found the temperature to be normal.

Vomiting and purging disappeared as soon as third dose was
administered.

The patient was cured by this medicine.

Case IV

The son of Babu Sarada Kanta Chatterjee was suffering from a
malignant type of ague with great constipation. He was treated by some
allopaths and native Kabirajes for nearly five months, but no
perceptible improvement was wrought by the administration of their
remedies.

He was eventually placed under my treatment. I made a thorough
examination which revealed the following symptoms :

Mind

: Weakness of
memory, dread of death when alone great fear and restlessness were
present ; the patient could not find rest anywhere and changed place
continually.

Eyes

: Burning in
eyes was present.

Face

: The
swelling of the face appeared.

Lower Face

: Sore
lips and ulcers in the mouth were seen.

Stomach

: Great
anxiety about the epigastric region was present.

Hypochondria

:
There was perceptible enlargement of the liver and spleen.

Stools

: The
bowels did not move for six days.

Urine

: The urine
was scanty and high-colored.

Tongue

: The
tongue was white ; the taste was bitter.

Fever

: The fever
appeared generally in the morning ; chill appeared with thirst.

Hot Stage

: Heat
with thirst ; vomiting of bile during heat.

Sweating Stage

:
No Sweat.

Apyrexia

: There
was clear intermission every day at 10 or 11 P. M. The
paroxysms were marked by the controlling influence of chilliness.

I prescribed

Nyctanthes
TMin
two-drop doses every four hours. This medicine moved the bowels freely.
After a week's treatment the tongue became clear, the appetite was
restored and the fever left the patient.

Case V

The son of Mr. M. M. Ray, Deputy Magistrate and Collector of
Midnapore, was suffering from remittent fever, associated with bilious
symptoms for five days.

On the sixth day the boy was placed under my treatment. I marked the
following symptoms :

Mind

: The patient
was somewhat restless.

Tongue

: The
tongue was enveloped with a whitish fur.

Nausea And Vomiting

:
Distressing nausea and bilious vomiting were troubling the patient.

Stomach

: Great
oppression at the pit of the stomach was felt.

Stools

: Profuse
bilious stools were present.

Mouth

: The mouth
was dry and great thirst was present.

Chest

: Dry cough
came on when the fever began to rise.

I prescribed

Nyctanthes
TMin
three-drop doses every three hours. The next morning I found the
temperature to be normal. Vomiting and purging vanished as soon as the
third dose was administered.

Case VI

The son of Mr. G. C. Dutt, Deputy Magistrate of Midnapore, was
suffering from an attack of intermittent fever for some time.

: Nausea came on from the commencement of the fever. Vomiting appeared
subsequently.

Stools

: The
bowels were constipated.

Temperature

: The
temperature of the body was 104°.

I prescribed

Nyctanthes
TMin
three drop doses. He was all right within three days.

Case VIII

The second daughter of S. C. Majumdar, Deputy Magistrate and
Collector, was suffering from intermittent fever. She was placed under
my treatment from the fifth day. A careful examination revealed the
following symptoms :

Nervous System

:
Capricious humor, great anxiety and restlessness existed.

Brain

: Giddiness
was present ; headache with drawing pain in temples.

Eyes

: Heaviness
of the eyes, with pain in the temples.

Mouth

: Dryness of
the mouth ; offensive odor and profuse salivation.

Throat

: Dryness
of the throat.

Stomach

: Great
burning sensation was felt in the stomach ; better from cold
application.

Stools

: Watery,
bilious stools appeared when the fever began to rise.

Nausea And Vomiting

: Vomiting came on at every draught.

Urine

: The urine
was scanty and high-colored.

Fever

: The fever
appeared to rise every day in the morning. There was no full
intermission.

External Surface

:
Dry heat was present. No perspiration existed.

I prescribed

Nyctanthesand copious
perspiration set in as soon as the fourth dose was given. On the third
day of my treatment I found a full remission of fever. The fever did not
rise since that time. Only Nyctanthescured the
patient.

Case IX

The son of Babu Panchanan Mojumdar was suffering from intermittent
fever with bilious symptoms. The following symptoms were notably marked
:

Mind

: The patient
was morose and taciturn.

Prodrome

: Great
thirst existed, yawning and stretching.

Chill

: Great
thirst, but drinking induced nausea and vomiting of watery, bilious
substances ; great chilliness.

Heat

: Vomiting
still existed ; the patient could not bear water.

Sweat

: There was
n0 sweat.

Tongue

: The
tongue was coated white ; the taste was bitter ; food has no taste.

Apyrexia

:
Imperfect.

Stomach

: There
was burning sensation in the stomach during the cold and hot stage,
better from cold application.

Time

: The fever
appeared generally in the morning.

I prescribed

Nyctanthes
IX every four
hours and the patient was all right within a week.

These cases will throw a clear light on the fact that

Nyctanthes
Arbor-tristiswillprove an excellent remedy for the symptoms mentioned before. I
treated nearly 120 cases with this medicine alone and an over whelming
majority of them were cured. A short Materia Medica concerning this
medicine was written by me and published in the Homeopathic World of
January, 1901.

Another article relating to this drug was written by me for the pages
of the North American Journal of Homeopathy of June,

1901.

I was requested by the eminent homeopath, Dr. Leon

Simon,
of Paris,
to write an article on this drug for the French Homeopathic Medical
Society and complied with this kind request.

That article was translated by Dr.

Simon
and presented to their Society and subsequently published in the Revue
Homéopathique Française of July, August, and September, 1902.

Another contribution from my pen regarding this medicine was
published in the Cleveland Medical and Surgical Reporter of July,

1903.

Dr J. H.

Clarke,
has very kindly incorporated these two newly discovered homeopathic
remedies in his "Prescriber" and "Dictionary of
Practical Materia Medica."

I am under grateful obligations to these eminent doctors for their
kindness in promulgating the cause of these two remedies. I ask the
homeopathic fraternity to try the action of these drugs and to publish
the failures to the world.